Decorative ornament



Jan. 14,1947. D, J, KELMAN 2,414,378

} DECORATIVE ORNAMENT Filed Dec. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 INVENTOR. I DAV/0 J flaMA/v a BY Jam-14, 1947. D. J. KELMAN 2,414,378

DECORATIVE ORNAMENT Filed Dec. 6, 1941 2 ShQetS-Shet 2 INVENTOR.

Dawn \1 Ira/w M t ATZ'MZZY Patented Jan. 14, 1947 DECORATIVE ORNAMENT David J. Kelman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application December 6, 1941, Serial No. 421,901

1a c1 u (01. 41-1);- I

This invention relates to decorative ornaments. More particularly my'invention, is directed to the provision of an apparatus and method iorinaking decorative ornaments oil;thershirred, convoluted type. such generally as shownin my U. S. Patent No. 2,197,615. or in U. S. Patent No. 2,112,723.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an apparatus and method for the continual fabrication of an endless length of shirred unispiral material.

An ancillary object of my invention is to provide an apparatus and methodfor continually fabricating an endless length of decorative material of the character described and for cutting same into desired lengths immediately subsequent to fabrication.

Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus and method of the character described in which the convoluted ornament is free to untwist after fabrication so as to relieve any torsional strain which may alter the shape of the ornament during use.

A further object of my invention is to provide .an apparatus of the character described which shall be durable and practical and eflicient in operation to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are shown two of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, largely diagrammatic, of an apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view oi one of the brushes which is employed for convolutlng a shirred web of flexible material;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a portion of an endless length of shirred uni-spiral material fabricated in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 in Fig. 7; and

Fig. an enlarged sectional view taken subg 'stantially along the line 9 9 in Fig. '7'.

. In general I carry out my invention by shirring a flat strip of flexible material, disposing said shirred strip against a core strand, and twisting said strip by means of a stationary device continually in one direction, such twisting operation being so carried out that convoluting a flat portion of the shirred web does not untwist the portions of the web which have already been convoluted.

I prefer to perform the shirring operation by a mechanism mounted on the stationary frame rather than on the rotating twisting device. In this way the number of high speed rotating parts or the twisting mechanism is minimized, with a consequent reduction in wear on the machine as a whole. With this arrangement, however, the shirred material must be so twisted about the core strand that it is free to rotate relative thereto after it has been convoluted and has passed beyond the twisting means. Since freedom of relative rotation between the convoluted and shirred web and the core strand cannot be maintained for indefinitely long lengths of such web and strand, in accordance with the specific embodiments of my invention hereinafter described, I cut off the shirred and convoluted material as it emerges from the stationary twisting means into desired lengths which are not long enough to permit binding of the shirred convoluted web about the core strand during twisting of the web and prior to cutting.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 5, I have there shown an apparatus 20 embodying my invention for the continual fabrication of shirred and convoluted decorative material comprising a core strand 22 on either side of which there is disposed a shirred, convoluted web 24, 26 of flexible material, said material being generally or the type shown and described in the said Patent No.

The apparatus 20 comprises a motor 28 which furnishes power through various transmissions (not shown) to the several driven elements. The webs 24 and 26 are unwound from rolls 30 and 32 of flat flexible material, said rolls being rotatably mounted on stationary supports. There i also provided a rotatably mounted roll 34 of wire which serves as a source of supply for the core strand 22. Said core strand, after being unwound from the roll 34, passes between a pair of spring fingers 3B which frictionally engage opposite sides of the strand 22 and reduce its speed of travel.

As the upper web 24 leaves the roll 98,- its under surface, which faces the web 28, contactively eng ges a cylinder 38 which turns in a pot 40 of liquid adhesive; Both of the webs converge on opposite sides of the core strand 22 and together with said strand pass between pressure rolls 42 and 44. The rolls 42 and 44 are urged towards each other under a suitable degree of pressure by springs 48. Said rolls need not be power driven since they are employed only to press the webs 24 and 28 firmly together and to enclose the core strand 22 between the adhesively attached flexible webs.

heating coils 48, for quickly drying the layer of adhesive between the webs 24 and 28. After leaving the drying means the attached webs 24 and 28 and core strand 22 are passed between a pair of feed rolls 50 and 52 whichare rotatably mounted on a stationary frame and are maintained in contact by springs 54. One of the rolls 58, 52 is power-driven to thus pull the webs 24 and 28 and the core strand 22 from their respective rolls 38, 82 and 34. Since the. spring fingers 88 impart a drag to the core strand 22 which causes same to move between the rolls 50 and 52 at a speed appreciably less than the speed of the webs 24 and 28, the said webs will become shirred transversely of their length as they emerge from between said feed rolls.

Up to this point it will be observed the apparatus described is substantially the same as that set forth in said United States Letters Patent No. 2,112,723.

In accordance with my invention I provide means for continually convoluting or spiralling the shirred webs 24 and 28 in the same direction as they emerge from the feed rolls 50 and 52, said means being disposed in fixed relationship to the feed rolls and being so constructed that the shirred, convoluted webs will issue endlessly therefrom. Said convoluting means comprises a barrel 58 which is rotatably and non-translatably journalled in a stationary standard 58. A ring gear is provided on the exterior surface of the barrel and engages a pinion 82 which is driven through a suitable transmission from the motor 28. Inside the barrel, which is co-axial with the core strand 22, are adjustably mounted a pluupon twisting the shirred webs 24 and 28. The

angular speed at which the barrel 56 is rotated may be varied at will in any manner well known to the art to vary the pitch between adjacent convolutions C, C, C" in the finished convoluted ornament (see Fig. 4). However the pitch must not be made so short that the convoluted webs will bind about the core strand 22, since the webs will then not be free to rotate about the core strand, a condition which, as will shortly appear, is necessary in this apparatus to endlessly produce shirred unispiral material without untwisting the material after it has passed beyond the twisting means. As the webs are convluted and emerge as finished decorative material from between the rotating twisting brushes 18 the will continue to be. rotated by the action of the brushes as the latter twist portions of the shirred 12 mounted on a stationary support.

webs freshly issuing from between the feed rolls of the finished decorative material leaving the barrel 58 are free to rotate about the non-rotatable core strand 22,such rotation of the webs by the twisting mean will not untwist the previously convoluted material. It should be noted that due to the freedom of relative rotation between the shirred and convoluted webs and the core strand in the finished material, the convoluted web may slightly untwist to relieve any torsional strain. In this way the shape or appearance of an ornament made from the convoluted material will not be distorted by torsional strain. This slight untwisting action is thus advantageous and is not the harmful untwisting which must be guarded against as set forth herein. On the other hand such desirable slight degree of untwlsting does not materially affect the appearance of the finished decorative material. This slight untwisting is a mere relaxation of the convoluted although the said barrel will twist the shirred V webs as they emerge from the feed rolls 50 and 52, it will at the same time untwist the shirred, convoluted portion of the webs that have already been twisted and the number of convolutions C, C, C" etc. will therefter remain constant as the length of finished material increases.

To prevent the finished convoluted portion of the webs from attaining such lengths, and for severing finished decorativ material to commercially marketable lengths, I also provide a cutting means so spaced relatively to the feed rolls 58 and 52 and rotating barrel 58 that the length of the finishedmateriai will never be great enough to allow frictional binding between the shirred and convoluted webs and the core strand. Such cutting meansmay comprise a tubular guide One end of said guide is coaxial with and immediately adjacent the end of the barrel 56 to receive and,support the shirred and convoluted webs emerging therefrom. Disposed at the opposite end of the guide 12 is a heavy, keen cutting blade 14 which cooperates with the shear support provided by the said forward end of the tube. The cutter blade 14 is fixedly mounted on a rotary carrier 18 fixed at the forward end of a shaft 18. The other end of the shaft 18 is driven by a one-revolution clutch 88 which derives power from a shaft 82 actuated through a chain of gearing 84 from the motor 28. The operation of the one-revolution clutch is controlled through a lever 88 by a plunger 88 of solenoid 90. The solenoid is energized at predetermined intervals by an electrical circuit including a source of electric energy 92 and a contact 94, said contact being operated by a pin 98 projecting from a disc 98 rotated by the motor 28. The said disc 98 is preferably connected to the motor 28 through a gear train which enables changes to be made in the rotary speed of the disc 98 to thus varythe length of ornamental articles cut off by the cutter blade 94. The period that the pin 98 engages the contact 94 is very short so that the solenoid 98 will be energized-for a period of time sufficient only to cause a single operation of the one-way clutch 88 and will therement, and to allow ample space for said blade to come to a stop after performing the shearing operation.

In Figs. 6 through 8 I have shown a modified form of apparatus I00 embodying my invention which may be employed for the fabrication of a shirred, convoluted ornament generally of the type shown in the said United States Letter Patent No. 2,197,615 wherein a plurality of strands are disposed at opposite sides of a shirred web of flexible material and then twisted. I

In this form of apparatus the twisting means, the cutting means and the means for controlling the cutting means are identical with those herein-- above described with reference to Figs. 1 through 3. The feeding and shirring means, however, are of a different construction. The said apparatus comprises a roll I02 of flat flexible. material, aroll I04 of relatively heavy strand material and a roll I06 of relatively light strand material, each of' said rolls being rotatably supported on a stationary frame. A flexible web I08 is pulled from the roll I02 by a pair of feed rolls H0 and H2 driven by suitable means from the motor H4 and also rotatably mounted on the stationary frame. Each of said feed rolls has a circumferentiaI groove I I6 and I I8 formed therein, large enough to freely receive the strands I26 and I respectively with said strands disposed below the surface of the rolls (see Fig. 8). The strand I20 of heavy material is fed into the groove I I8 of the lower feed roll I I2 by suitable feeding means, such as the rolls I22 and I20, which are actuated through a suitable power transmission by the motor I Id. The light strand I25 is received in the groove I I6 'of the upper feed roll I I0. The two feed rolls I I0 and II2 are maintained in frictional contact by springs I28.

As strands I26 and I20 and the web I08 emerge from between the feed rolls H0 and I I2 they are that operation is necessarily interrupted and resumed.

Having thus described my invention 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an apparatus for manufacturing shirred.

and convoluted ornaments from a flat strip of flexible material and a core strand means for com tinually shirring said strip, means for continually superlmposing'successive portions of said strip.

along said strand, means for' moving said strip and core axially of saidcore, and means relative to which said strip'and core move axially of said core for continually convoluting said strip in the same direction on on side of said convoluting means while it is being shirred and for continually moving said strip angularly about the axis of revolution of said convoluting means on the other side of said convoluting means whereby.

. as successive portions of said strip are convoluted previously convoluted portions of said stripv will not be untwisted.

2. In an apparatus for manufacturing shirred and convoluted ornaments from a flat strip of twisted into convoluted form by means similar to that shown in Figs. 1-3, with the flexible web I08 spiraled intermediate the twisted strands I26 and I30. Due to the twisting of the strands they will converge at a point P spaced a, short distance forwardly of the feed rolls. The speed of feed of the web I08 imparted thereto by the feed rolls I I0 and H2 is substantially greater than the linear .speed of feed imparted to the strands I20 and I26 by the feed rolls I22 and I24. Due to this ratio. between the rate of travel of the web and of the strands, the web is forced against the point of convergence P between the two strand and is thus formed into small flutes or shirrings which are caught between the said two core strands prior to twisting.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device and method for using the same in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practicaluse, I

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The words continual" and "continually," as

flexible material and a core strand, means for continually shirring said strip, means for continually superimposing successive portions of said strip along said strand, and means for continually said strand without binding said strip on said strip along said strand, means for moving said strip and core axially of said core, means relative to which said strip and core move axially oi. said core for continually progressively convoluting said shirred strip in the same direction on one side of said convoluting means and for'continually moving said strip angularly about the axis of revolution of said convoluting means on the other side of said convoluting means whereby assuccessive portions of said strip are convoluted previously convoluted portions of said strip will not be untwisted, and means for cutting off lengths of said strand and said shirred and convoluted strip while said shirring means, said superimposing means and said convoluting means are continually operating.

5. In an apparatus for manufacturing shirred and convoluted ornaments from a flat strip of flexible material and a core strand, means for continually shirring said strip, means for con- 6. In an apparatus for manufacturing shirred and convoluted ornaments from a flat strip-of flexible material and a core strand. means for continually shirring said strip, means for continually superimposing successive portions of said strip along said strand, means for continually convoluting said shirred strip in the same direction, and means for cutting ofl! lengths of said strand and said shirred and convoluted strip while said shirring means, said superimposing means and said convoluting means are continually operating, said convoluting means being disposed beyond said shirring means and said cutting means being disposed beyond said convoluting means.

7. In an apparatus for manufacturing shirred and convoluted ornaments from a flat strip of flexible material and a core strand, means for shirring said strip, means for superimposing said strip along said strand, means for continually convoluting said strip in the same direction about said strand in such manner as to permit said shirred strip to be free to rotate relative to said strand after it has been convoluted by said convoluting means, and means fixed relative to said convoluting means for cutting oif predetermined lengths of said strand and said shirred and convoluted strip,

8. The process of making shirred and convoluted ornaments from a flat strip of flexible material and a core strand, comprising continually shirring said strip, continually superimposing successive portions of said. strip along said strand, and continually progressively convoluting said shirred strip in the same direction.

9. The process of making shirred and convoluted ornaments from a fiat strip of flexible material and a core strand, comprising continually shirring said strip, continually superimposing successive portions of said strip along said strand, moving said strip and core axially of said core, continually convoluting said shirred strip in the same direction on one side of the mechanism which convolutes the strip and continually moving said strip angularly about the convoluting axis on thev other side of said mechanism whereby as successive portions of the strip are convoluted previously convoluted portions oi-the strip will not be untwisted.

x 10. The process of making shirred and con-, voluted ornaments from a flat stripor flexible material and a core strand, comprising shirring said strip, superimposing said strip along said strand, and continually convoluting said shirred strip in the same direction upon said strand without binding said strip on said strand.

11. The process of making shirred and convoluted ornaments from a flat strip of flexible material and a core strand, comprising continually shirring s'aid strip, continually superimposing successiveportions of said strip along said strand, continually progressively convoluting said shirred strip in the same direction on one side of the convoluting mechanism, continually moving said strip angularly about the convoluting axis onthe other side of the convoluting mechanism whereby as successive portions of the strip are convoluted previously convoluted portions of the strip will not be untwisted, and cutting of! said strand and shirred and convoluted strip in predetermined lengths while shirring and convoluting is continu ing.

0 12. Th process of making shirred and convoluted ornaments from a flat strip of flexible material and a core strand, comprising shirring said strip, superimposing said strip along said strand, continually convoluting said shirred strip in the same direction upon said strand while leaving said shirred and convoluted strip free to rotate relative to said strand, and cutting ofi said strand and shirred and convoluted strip in predetermined lengths.

13. The process of making shirred and convoluted'ornaments from a flat strip of flexible material and a core strand, comprising shirring said :strip, superimposing said strip along said strand, continually convoluting said shirred strip in the same direction upon said strand while leaving said shirred and convoluted strip free to rotate relative to said strand, and cutting off said strand and shirred and convoluted strip in predetermined lengths before said strip becomes bound about said strand.

DAVID J. KELMAN. 

